How to Deal With Introvert Overstimulation

Boy am I feeling overstimulated today! As a fellow introvert, I’m sure you can relate to the feeling.

My brain is scattered and I find it hard to concentrate. Everyday tasks seem way more daunting because I’m already overwhelmed.

The reason I’m feeling overstimulated is because, as I explained in this email to my subscribers, I’ve been doing standup comedy at least twice a week since I got back to Canada.

Even though I love it and I’m honestly having so much fun, performing is very hard on my sensitive nervous system.

If you’re a sensitive introvert like me, it doesn’t take getting onstage to make you feel overstimulated. Everyday activities, like giving a presentation at work, or even going to the grocery store can be be overstimulating for introverts.

The reason is that we introverts process more information at a given time. We’re taking so much in that our brain gets overloaded.

The hamster on his little wheel stops in his tracks, or he goes on the fritz, scurrying in every direction and creating mental chaos. Not to worry.

Even though overstimulation is a given in this extrovert-biased, busybody world we live in, it doesn’t have to hold us back.

There are ways to deal with introvert overstimulation, so that you can keep living your best innie life.

Here are 3 ways to deal with overstimulation:

Plan ahead

Sometimes overstimulation hits you over the head like a giant hammer in a cartoon. But other times you can anticipate its arrival.

You know that you have a busy week ahead with lots of socializing or work pressures. So, you prioritize and optimize your downtime by using the tips below.

Minimize screen time

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, too much screen time only makes overstimulation worse, especially social media scrolling.

Your device screen’s blue light alone is taxing on the brain. The overload of information and images you see when you scroll also tuckers out your already tired mind (try saying that five times fast ;P)

If you’re feeling overstimulated, do yourself a favor and step away from the screen for a while.

Have a super recharging ritual

There are a lot of self-care rituals that both prevent and cure overstimulation. My favourites include:

taking a candlelit bath – the darkness helps reduce stimulation

doing five minutes of deep breathing and gentle stretching first thing in the morning

going for long walks, preferably away from noisy traffic

writing – creative expression is a great way to refocus the mind

meditating on your lunch break

You might think meditating at work would be impossible, but king of mindfulness Deepak Chopra says that he can meditate almost anywhere, even on the subway.

To start, you could download a meditation app or find a free guided meditation on YouTube and listen to it for five minutes on your break.

What about you? How do you deal with overstimulation? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.